Sanguis Sanctus Chapter 1

Vampire Borg

Name: Trifon Raftis

Class: Disgraced

Destiny d12=10 Joined a Crusade. Objective? Hunt down vampires that murdered family.

Abilities: 13, 7, 9, 10

Agility:+1
Presence: -1
Strength:0
Toughness:0

Blessings d2=2
HP: 6

Sanguis Sanctus (SS abbreviated. I have trouble remembering the Latin, so I call it Vampire Borg in my head), is a game built on the Mork Borg engine by Novecento Manfredi. The premise of the game is that something opened up Hellgates all over the world in 1477 that led to demonic vampire Matriarchs to flood the land. With the coming of the monsters, a gray shroud covered the land, dimming the sun in what many called Never-Ending Night.

Fantastical beasts arose, creatures and plants mutated, but humanity persevered in small pockets. Technological and alchemical advancements have been made in desperation for survival.

I’ll use the Mythic Adventure Crafter to create my first adventure. I won’t outline all of the steps involved (as that would be its own article), but will post the results at the end of each scene so as not to spoil the plot haha. That is, if it doesn’t get spoiled by the dice!

Sanguis Sanctus has its own solo rules included in the rules. It basically consists of a Y/N oracle, verb/noun spark tables, dungeon name tables, NPC tables, and random encounters. While I am a Mythic fan boy, I’ll play using the tools provided in the book. I may use some other supplements for additional spark tables.

Like my Pirate Borg game, I’ll use a variation on the Black Streams Solo Heroes rules to make my character a little more survivable. There are no Hit Dice in this game, so I’ll use a multiple of 6 to determine their HD. 1-6 is HD 1, 7-12 is HD 2, etc.

I was inspired for this playthrough by the song, Job’s Eyes, by Far.

Necropolis of Kerameikos
Year of our Lord, 1507

Trifon knelt among the bloody carnage, his wife cradled in his arms, her beautiful form silenced by the monsters who had raided this place. A place that had been promised as a sanctuary. Beside him, too painful to see, was the broken rag-doll body of his young daughter. A slight glance at his little kóri had sent him into a spiral of grieved insanity. Painful sobs racked his body as he rocked back and forth, holding his wife. The multitude of other dead around him did not escape his notice, but they did not strike home like these two bodies. These two were what he had lived for.

He should have been here. He had gone to get fabric to make a new dress for his kóri. It lay now in the blood and muck, forgotten. The stone room had been sanctified, supposedly, a haven provided by God against the darkness of the vampires. Trifon raged against the deity and his indifference. It was HE who should have been here to protect these people. It had been HIS promise.

Trifon’s mind went to the story of Job that the priests loved to espouse. How suffering in the name of God was something to be praised. His eyes alighted on one of the priests now, hammered brutally onto the wooden cross standing in a corner, drained of all of his blood. His piety and dedication had not saved him from the same plight of the dozens of others crammed into the ruins of this holy place.

Job had been a coward. To be scourged with the afflictions by the devil, but to still cling to a worthless god who did not protect him? Where is the nobility in that, the strength? Trifton would curse god and die, like the devil had recommended to Job. It was not noble, it was not strong. But he would be no sycophant to a sadistic god who cast him aside like so much rubbish.

“Why should I worship one who is weaker than I? Are too weak to do anything? Or you don’t care to do anything? Either way, you are not worthy of my worship!” he shouted to the stone ceiling above him, it too covered in the splashed blood of the numerous victims.

The vampires had not just come into the sanctuary and fed. They had delighted in the desecration and destruction.

“Even I, a simple man, would have stood up for these people and fought with all my worth. Someone with infinite strength cannot be bothered? Why? Are you a coward as well, Lord? Are you impotent? Are you ashamed because you are weak? Curse you! I hate you! I hate everything you stand for!”

As the words ripped from Trifon’s raw throat something happened within him. He could feel a tearing inside, like something ripped from his soul. He faltered and gasped. Unknown to him, the light of God no longer shone in his eyes, and his iris and pupils faded to white. For what it was worth, the pain in his heart was lessened as well. Replaced by a dark, stony hatred.

He gave a bitter laugh. So bitter. He knew he had been punished. “Ah, so you have enough strength to punish me further, a man who has lost everything. Good for you, you bastard.”

God, as he was wont to do, did not answer.

A crash of litter falling to the ground further into the room resounded, but Trifon did not care. Let them come and finish his misery.

It was not a vampire, but a man who stumbled out of the wreckage. A simple bronze goblet cradled lovingly in his hands. He was covered in scrapes and bruises but had been spared the slaughter inflicted on the room.

“You would do well to keep your curses silent, my good man.” Despite his admonitions, he spoke in a raised voice, like his hearing was very poor.

This character came from Adventure Crafter, a loud Trader. I’ll roll on the NPC tables in SS for his personality.
d10=2 Coward

Trifon turned his head slowly toward the man, holding his treasure.

”I suppose you lived by cowering in a corner, while all the rest were slaughtered?”

The man did not hesitate to answer, though he leaned in, turning his head to hear better.

“Yes, I am a coward. The beasts surged into the room, the sounds of slaughter outside entering with them. I am but a simple peddler, what could I have done? I took some of the consecrated water from the altar and drank it from this chalice. Hoping it would deter the vampires from drinking from me.”

“I guess it worked.” Trifon said with disgust.

He laid his wife down and stood to his feet. His shirt was soaked with the blood of his two loved ones.

Unable to bear it, he tore the garment from his body. Looking around, he saw the flag of Kerameikos discarded in a corner. He took it and wrapped it about himself like a cloak. As he did so, he saw a tattoo etched into the skin of his chest over his heart. It had not been there before, in the likeness of a stone wall, with wooden spikes adorning the top. He scoffed, another present from the weak God after his curse.

“Perhaps.” The man continued. He gazed at the chalice in wonderment. “I had purchased this cup from a man claiming it had been retrieved from the sepulchers below the city. I presumed he was a swindler. But…when the monsters saw this in my hands, they would not approach me. I believe it may be a holy relic of sorts.”

“Probably the Holy Grail, the cup Jesus used at the last supper. I’m sure.” Trifon mocked.

“You jest, but I would not go so far as to say it was impossible. I want to take it to Rome.”

“Well, hopefully it gave you everlasting life when you drank from it, you will need it to get all the way to Italy.”

Trifon scavenged through the wreckage, looking for anything of use. The ruins of this ancient city had begun to prosper in the last decade, despite the rise of the vampires. For whatever reason, they had been reluctant to attack. Until today that is. Now the ruins were once again filled only with death.

As he searched, it was evident some of the vampires had fallen during the fight. When killed, their corpses aged immediately to crumbling bone and leathery skin. Several of such bodies littered the area. Trifon looked at them with pride for a moment. Proud that his fellow humans had at least gone down fighting. Unlike God.

Amongst the wreckage, he found some torches, rope, rations, a waterskin, and an unsoiled bandage. He placed it in his pack that had carried the cloth earlier. He hefted a length of table leg that had been torn asunder, it would do for a club. His knife was in a sheath at his belt, but it was more for utility, not much use for killing vampires. That was what he was going to do. Kill Vampires until he too was killed.

The other man cleared his throat behind him. “I’m Tio, by the way. Tio Simonson.”

Trifon grunted in response. The man’s devotion to a supposed holy relic grated on him, but there was no reason to be cruel. “Trifon Raftis.”

“Ah, Trifon. I’m sorry we had to meet in these circumstances. Would you be willing to accompany me to the docks? I had a small ship there that could take us to Italy, if you wanted to join in my crusade to deliver this grail to his Holiness.”

Trifon looked at him flatly. He wanted to die, not go on an adventure.

Another voice boomed from the entryway to the shrine. “His Holiness, bah.”

SS Oracle, what Vampire order does this new vampire belong? D5=2 Defunctio
Undead: Dead Anointed (lowest class of vampire) can be resurrected as skeletons or ghouls by a Hearld or Archon.

SS Oracle, is this an Annointed d20=19 Yes?

Vampire Anointed. Humans that have just been turned into vampires. Used as cannon fodder unless it survives long enough to become Exalted.

2 HD
Leather armor: d2
Sword: 1d6 (it says 1d4 in the rules for Anointed, though sword is listed as 1d6. Maybe a typo?)
Morale: 7

“I thought I heard cattle mooing in here.” The vampire smirked, long fangs protruding from a blood-stained mouth. The sword clutched in his fist was covered in congealed blood.

Trifon was much taller than the monster, but it had been a man of hard work prior to being turned. He was thick with muscle, twice as wide as Trifon.

“Come and feed from me then, bloodsucker, and end my misery!” Trifon’s face was red with fury.

“Gladly.”

Tio stood between Trifon and the vampire, who glared at him with something akin to fear. He smoothly glided around the peddler, heading for Trifon. The stocky vampire flourished his blood covered blade in an attempt to frighten Trifon, it didn’t work.

Initiative d6=1 Enemies go first

Vampire move forward and attack. Defend Agi d20+1=10 vs 12 fail.
Damage 1d6=6. -2 HP. Trifon 4/6

Trifon attack. Melee Str d20=2 vs 12 Miss.

Tio Move to hide.

As the vampire moved past Tio, the man ran to the back of the room, searching for a hiding place among the tumbled furniture.

“Come and slay me!” Trifon snarled again.

The vampire grinned, and slid forward, his sword flashing like the strike of a snake. The tip of the blade slid across Trifon’s face, opening a cut below his eye. Had that been just an inch higher…

Trifon clumsily tried to smash his improvised club into the monster, but the vampire easily swatted the strike away with his sword.

Initiative d6=4 Character goes first

Tio, continue to hide

Trifon attack. D20=11 vs 12 Miss

Vampire attack. D20+1=18 Defend!

Trifon growled and rushed forward, towering over the former human. He raised his club in an overhand strike, and the vampire dodged backward to avoid the heavy blow. Luckily, that meant he was out of striking distance of Trifon.

Init = 1 Enemies

Vamp attack. D20+1=13 Defend

Trifon attack. D20=9 Miss

SS Oracle, does Tio come to help? 20 Extreme Yes!

Tio splash holy water onto Vampire d20=11 miss.

Trifon and the vampire both traded blows, each unable to score a hit against the other. Tio snuck up behind the unsuspecting monster and tried to splash holy water on it from the relic chalice, but the water fell short. The vampire snarled at him and turned so he could face both humans.

Init = 2 Enemies

Vamp attack d20+1= 12 Defend

Trifon attack. D20=15 Hit! 1d4=4 -1 Armor d2=1, total 3. -1 HD. 1 Left

Tio attack throw furniture. D20-1=15 Hit. 1d2=1 No damage

Morale save 2d6=9 vs 7 Demoralized.
Action d6=4 Enemy Surrenders.

Trifon feigned a strike, to which the vampire went to parry. Tio had a broken pail in his hands, and flung it at the monster. It crashed against his side, doing no harm, but distracting him enough so that Trifon’s club could connect with the vampire’s head. He dropped his blade and stumbled backward, dazed from the strike.

“Please, I was once human, just like you! I cannot help that I was turned! Perhaps there is a way to redeem me still!”

Disgusted by the vampire’s pleading, he scooped up the dropped sword. He was not a trained fighter, but it was sharp. The vampire’s back hit the wall behind him, and he had nowhere else to run. Trifon advanced, sword upraised and gave a shout of rage as he swung the sword at the helpless vampire.

Free hit. 1d6=2 – armor 1=1 No damage

The sword blade was turned aside by the cured leather breastplate, and the vampire knocked Trifon backward and ran from the room.

Trifon screamed in rage and began to pursue, but Tio stepped in front of him, his hands raised.

“We should leave as soon as possible. No doubt he will return with some of his fellows.” He bent down and picked up the discarded table leg club.

Blood ran down Trifon’s face, creating a mask of red. He wanted nothing more than to kill vampires and perhaps die doing so. It would give him blessed vengeance and perhaps relief. But he did not want this Tio to die as well. Despite his cowardice, he had tried to help Trifon against the deadly foe.

He looked to where his wife and child lay dead, he would have liked to bury them, but there was no time. Tio was right, the vampire would return soon. Finally, he nodded, wiping the sword blade on his discarded shirt. Gathering his backpack, he turned to Tio.

“You are right, let us leave this place.”

End of Scene.

I’m going to be generous with my level ups, as this will likely be a short “campaign.”

Disgraced HP d10=10! Max HP 16. 4/16 Current

Test Str increase d6=1. Increase to +1. This method is very generous and will likely get our skills up quickly. Which is probably why it limits you to a single ability test per level up.

Weapon Damage d6=3 No increase. On a 5-6 the weapon gets +1 Damage. Maybe due to familiarity with using it I guess?

Next session, we will move through the ruined city, to try to make it to Tio’s ship at the docks.